Magnet ingestion by young children serious and growing problem

Physicians and parents must be aware of the growing danger of magnet ingestion by children because magnets can adhere to each other and cause life-threatening problems such as bowel perforations, a new case study illustrates in CMAJ.

"Modern magnet technology has transformed what was once an esoteric subtype of foreign-body ingestion into a common and lethal threat," writes Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), with coauthors.

In the past, magnet ingestion generally could be treated with a wait-and-see approach, relying on the foreign body to pass without incident. However, new high-powered magnets—neodymium-iron-boron magnets (or rare-earth magnets)—are 10-20 times stronger than older magnets and can adhere to one another through the bowel. Magnet ingestion was thought to be rare, but the literature, and clinical examples experienced by the authors, indicates it is becoming more common. Data from the Public Health Agency of Canada also indicate that the number of visits to emergency departments for magnet ingestion has increased significantly over the last decade.

"Swallowing a single magnet is generally innocuous, much like swallowing any other inert foreign body. However, multiple magnets, especially when swallowed at different times, can attract each other through loops of the gastrointestinal tract. The force created through the bowel or stomach wall may result in pressure necrosis and eventual perforation."

If x-rays indicate the presence of more than one magnet, removal by endoscopy, laxative (polyethylene glycol) or surgery as a last resort may be required.

Awareness and prevention are the first defence in combatting this problem.

"Although health care providers can play an important role in disseminating information on the risks of magnet ingestion, further targeted campaigns are needed to inform parents of the risks," state the authors. "Small warning labels on magnet-based products have been insufficient. Media exposure on the topic and information in primary care offices are needed. The 18-month well-baby visit may be an appropriate time to discuss magnet safety in the context of safe toys."

"Through primary prevention, effective recognition of the problem, and prompt, appropriate management with multidisciplinary collaboration, the risks associated with magnet ingestions can be mitigated," conclude the authors.

Related Stories

(HealthDay)— Warning labels do little to prevent children from swallowing high-powered magnets that can tear holes in the stomach and bowel and cause severe, life-threatening complications, a new study ...

Doctors are asking parents to take extra care that their children do not swallow small magnets from toys, after two children required surgical intervention following ingestion of such small magnets. In a letter to the Lancet, Dr. An ...

Toshiba Corporation announced today that the company has developed a high-iron concentration samarium-cobalt magnet that is free of dysprosium, a rare earth mineral that is in extremely short supply and increasingly expensive. ...

While the danger of magnets for children is increasingly recognized, they don't receive treatment for swallowing them as quickly as needed, and parents don't receive sufficient warning on toys, according to a new study.

(Medical Xpress)—With many new toys hitting store shelves this holiday season, there is a lot to consider when picking the perfect gift for a child. While young ones may be creating their wish lists with ...

(HealthDay)—Time to toss out the teaspoon and tablespoon when it comes to sick kids: The best way to measure liquid medications for children is in metric milliliters, a leading group of U.S. pediatricians ...

A lower percentage of children are eating fast food on any given day and calories consumed by children from burger, pizza and chicken fast food restaurants also has dropped, according to an article published online by JAMA Pe ...

The medication glyburide, which has been increasingly used to treat gestational diabetes in pregnant women, was associated with higher risk for newborns to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, have respiratory distress, ...

An intervention to teach mothers of preterm infants how to interact with their babies more effectively results in better weight gain and growth for the infants, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes ...

Parents of obese children may not be able to recognise that their child is overweight unless they are at very extreme levels of obesity, according to research led by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL Institute ...

User comments

Please sign in to add a comment.
Registration is free, and takes less than a minute.
Read more

Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.